Practical Engineering Geology

Steve Hencher is now Emeritus Professor at Leeds and Honorary Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Hong Kong University. He is also Director of Hencher Associates Limited where he acts as technical advisor and expert witness on various geotechnical matters. More information is at www.hencherassociates.com

He is a geologist by first degree and earned his PhD from Imperial College, London on the shear strength of rock joints under dynamic loading. He then joined Sir W S Atkins & Partners where he was one of only nine, yes nine geotechnical employees servicing what, even then, were the largest consultants in Europe. Atkins gave him wide experience in a very short term. This included the opportunity to investigate the ground for and supervise the construction and installation of piles at Drax Power Station, which gave a sharp insight into how large civil engineering projects work. Since then, he has worked with the Hong Kong Government for 5 years where he investigated major landslides, worked on shear strength of rock, and first became involved in mapping and describing thick weathered profiles. Other major experience includes being part of the Bechtel design team for the High-Speed Rail in Korea, working specifically on the design of very large span tunnels and underground stations. He taught the MSc in Engineering Geology at Leeds University full time from 1984 to 1996 and supervised a large number of research students. Since 1997 he has headed geotechnics in the Hong Kong office of Halcrow and was Regional Director of the Korean office for 7 years. He has worked on various national and international committees in geotechnical engineering, in particular, on weathered rocks, piling, landslides, rock slopes and rock mass characterisation. He has acted and continues to act as an expert advisor and expert witness in numerous legal cases, including aspects of foundation design and construction, tunnelling, landslides, and site formation.